Bronzing machine



A. W. COOK.

BRONZING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, I912.

1 1 95,56 1 I Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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APPLICATION ILED FEB. l7. I912.

1,]. 95,56 1 Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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A. W. COOK.

BRONZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17. I912.

1,195,561. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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A. w; COOK.

BRONZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. H. 1912.

1 1 95,5 6 l Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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UNETFED TATE PATENT @Fl-FIQE.

AUBREY W. COOK, 0F KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNO R TO THE SIMMONS MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF KENOSI-IA, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

BRONZING-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application filed February 17, 1912. Serial No. 678,360.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUBREY W. Cook, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Kenosha, county of Kenosha, and

State of Visconsin, have invented certain bronzing machines and refers more particularly to an apparatus for bronzing or coating the ends of bedstead frames and the like.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide improved apparatus for uniformly coating or bronzing a bedstead unit, and which particularly insures the bronzing of the edges and angles or ornamental parts of such unit; to provide a construction in which gold-bronze or other bronzing material is directed against the bedstead unit by regulated air currents generated by electrically operated fans; to provide a construction in which the bronzing material may be fed to the chamber containing the bedstead units in regulated quantities, and in which the fans are angularly disposed and connected to independent motors; to provide a construction in which a plurality of bedstead units may be bronzed or coated at the same time and are suspended during operation upon a traveling carriage; to provide in a construction of the character referred to an improved form of bronzing or housing chamber, the ends of which are closed by doors which are sealed air-tight in a novel manner; to provide novel means for reclaiming. and saving such of the bronzing material as does not stick to the bedstead units; to provide a construction in which the bedstead units or other articles to be coated are uniformly bronzed though without the necessity of manual manipulation of such units or articles; to provide a construction in which a large number of such bedstead units can be very rapidly and uniformly. bronzed and by a process which is substantially automatic in operation; and in general to provide an improved construction of the character re ferred to. r

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on lines 22 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on lines 1% of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view showing the manner in which the doors close around the track member; Fig. ,7 is a horizontal sectional view of a supporting bracket.

Referring now to the drawings-1 designates as a whole the bronzing chamber comprising fioor 2, sides 3 and at and ceiling 5. The walls of this chamber or housing are air-tight and each preferably consists of an inner sheathing 6, the outer frame 7 and an intermediate paper seal 8. Each end of this chamber is closed by a pair of doors 9 and 10 which are hinged as shown at 11 to the corner posts 12 of the housing.

The doors are preferably made of heavy wood, and have an inner lining 18 and are provided around their edges with a suitable air seal, as felt, as is shown at 14;, 1%. These doors are so constructed as to be air tight at all their joints when closed and are notched near their upper edges as shown at 15 and 16, to fit around a track member 17 which extends longitudinally through the chamber. This track member 17 takes the form of an I-beam and is bolted or otherwise secured to the ceiling 5 as shown at 18. It will be noted that the notches 15 and 16 are so shaped as to fit closely around the I-beam when the doors are closed and in order to make the joint air tight the notches are provided with a felt lining as shown at 19 and 20. Proferably the doors are provided with metal reinforcements as shown at 21, 21. The doors are locked in closed position by means of jointed vertical bars 22. Each of these bars comprises a lower portion 23 which fits into a socket 24c on the floor, and an upper portion 25 which is hinged as shown at 26 to the lower portion and is forkedat its upper end as shown M2? to fit around the track member 17 The upper ends of the fork extend into the socket 28 and the fork is preferably strengthened by through-bolts 29. Inasmuch as these look bars are ointed they can be readily inserted into or withdrawn from the sockets 24c and 28. The bars are secured within the sockets and at the same time the doors are locked by a heavy latch member pivoted to the door 9 as shown at 31, and engaging a keeper 32 rigidly fastened to the door member 10 as shown at 33. It is to be understood that the door constructions at the other end of the chamber are the same. When it is desired to open the doors at either end, the member 30 is swung out of the way and the corresponding bar withdrawn from its socket; the lock bar may then be hung on a bracket 3 1 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Upon the track is mounted a traveling carriage designated as a whole 35, comprising a supporting bar 36 suspended from brackets 37. The upper ends of these brackets are forked as shown at 38, and provided with track wheels 39 which ride upon the track member 17 as shown more clearly in Fig. 4;. Upon the track bar 36 is mounted a plurality of traveling carriers l0 each comprising a bracket portlon 41, track wheel 42, and hanger 43. These hangers hook over the arms 4.1 of the carriers and hook into suitable apertures in the upper ends of the bedstead units 44:.

When the bedstead units are bronzed the carriage 35 is run out of the housing and the carriers 10 are run upon a suitable sta tionary track member similar to the track bar 36, the traveling carriage reloaded with another set of carriers and run back into the bronzing chamber. On top of the chamber are supported a plurality of feed hoppers 1-5. These hoppers are carried by a slidably mounted plate or platform l6, which is actuated by a lever 4C7. This lever is pivoted at 18 to a suitable over-head support 49 and fits within a notch 50 cut in the side of the plate 46. The lower end of the lever extends through a guide member 51 secured to the outer side of the housing. When it is desired to feed bronze to the chamber 1, the plate 46 is shifted by the lever so that the throats 52 pass over the open ended delivery tubes 53 as shown more clearly in Fig. 4:. By the arrangement just described the bronzing material may be fed into the chamber in regulated quantities.

When the bronzing material is fed into the sealed chamber it is directed upon the bedstead units by regulated air currents. To this end a plurality of motors A, B, C, and D are mounted on top of the housing. The armature shafts 54; of these motors extend through bearings 55 secured to the ceiling of the chamber. To the inner ends of these shafts are connected air fans 56 of motors are controlled by suitable switches A, B, C, and D respectively, mounted on the outer side of the housing. Circuit con nections 57, 57 lead from the switches to the motors and current is supplied through line wires 58 leading to any source of supply (not shown). By the arrangement just de- 7 scribed any number of the fans may be operated independently or paired oil as desired. This is necessary in order that the air currents may be applied in every direction so that all parts of the bedstead unitswill be uniformly coated. It is generally advisable that the bronzing material be applied to the bedstead units at varying angles, necessitating frequent switching of the motors.

During the process of coating the bedstead units a considerable amount of the bronzing material necessarily does-not stick tothe bedstead units, and it is very advis-, able that this surplus material be saved. Special means are accordingly'provided for collecting and recovering this surplus mate rial. At either end of the floor'is secured a settling receptacle or trough 59 and 60 which extendthe entire width of the chamber and open into the latter as shown at 61. The inlets of these troughs are normally closed by valves 62 mounted on rock shafts 63. These shafts extend through the housing and each are provided at one end with a handle 64 in order to operate the valves. The lower end of each settling chamber is trough-like in shape and is open at its upper end as shown a at 65. The opening 65 is closed by. a closure member 66. This closure member 66 com-. prises a frame 67 secured asshown at 68 to the settling chamber, and a clothor other pervious cover 69. The purpose of this cloth cover will be hereinafter described. lVithin each settling chamber is mounted a baflle plate 70, which directs the bronzing material into the bottom of the trough and tends to prevent it being blown against the cover. The surplus bronzing material is blown into the settling chamberin the following manner The valve'62 'of the settling chamber 59 is opened and the motors A and D are started. The fans of these motors will blow the bronzing material across the chamber and into the settling box 59. These motors will then be cut oil, the valve of the settling box 60 opened and the opposite pair of motors started. The surplus bronzing material will then be blown across to the opposite side of the chamber and into the settling box 60. By means of the cloth cover 69 in' the settling box means are provided for assisting in drawing the bronzing material from the main chamber 1, to the settling chamber.v The bronzing material may then be drawn through discharge openings 71 which are provided with suitable covers 7 2 secured to the conduits 71 by V bayonet joints 73. a

The operation of the apparatus is set forth in the foregoing description and need not be 130 here described in detail. The invention is not limited to the details of construction shown except as set forth in the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for bronzing metal parts such asbedstead frames, the combination of a flat-bottomed bronzing chamber substantially rectangular in cross-sectional plan, fourfans of the disk type mounted on vertical axes intermediate the center and each corner of the bronzing chamber, means for feeding regulated quantities of bronzing material above the level of said fans, suitable means for supporting the metal parts within said chamber below the level of said fans, and means for independently operat ing said fans.

2. In apparatus for bronzing metal parts such as bedstead frames, the combination of a bronzing chamber substantially rectangular in plan, four fansof the disk type mounted on vertical axes intermediate the center and each corner of the bronzing chamber,

means-for feeding regulated quantities of bronzing material above the level of said fans, suitable means for supporting the metal parts within said chamber below the level of said fans, said bronzing chamber being provided at opposite sides with a pair of longitudinal settling box ports substantially rectangular in cross-section, the adj acent longitudinal edges of said longitudinal settling box ports being no higher than the floor of the chamber, settling boxes below the chamber communicating with said set tling box ports and being provided with upturned screened openings of large area compared with the area of the ports, valve members closing said ports, means for independently operating said valves, and

means for independently operating said fans.

AUBREY W. COOK.

Witnesses:

J. H. CANTWELL, Jr., Gus. JACOB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

